MORRISVILLE, N.C.─May 20, 2013─TearScience®, a privately held medical device company, today announced an agreement with Vision Source, a network of private practice optometrists that share knowledge and resources to provide the best eye care, to make TearScience’s solution for identifying and treating evaporative dry eye available to its members. Vision Source members are well known for pioneering advanced technology in their eye care practices.

More than 23 million Americans suffer from dry eye disease. With the majority (86 percent) suffering from evaporative dry eye, this represents a more than $10 billion market potential in North America. TearScience® has developed and launched its solution to address this underserved patient population. The solution includes the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System. Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly. LipiView® measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer of a dry eye patient’s tear film and helps identify if a dry eye patient is a partial blinker, a condition that may limit lipid production and impact the ocular surface. LipiFlow® treats the root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands during an in-office procedure.

“Meibomian Gland Dysfunction is a highly common and progressive disease,” said John McCall, OD, senior vice president of vendor relations for Vision Source. “Vision Source members recognize the importance of identifying and treating this chronic condition early. Our partnership with TearScience® will help our members stay at the forefront of managing this chronic disease.”

TearScience® exhibited at Vision Source’s annual meeting in Las Vegas from April 24-27, 2013.

“The annual meeting provided a great opportunity for TearScience® to engage Vision Source members,” said Wade Hampton, TearScience’s chief commercial officer. “The response to our technology at the meeting exceeded our expectations. Vision Source and TearScience® share the common goal of wanting to provide the best care to dry eye patients. Using our LipiView® and LipiFlow® technology, Vision Source members differentiate their practices with the ultimate goal of increasing dry eye patient satisfaction.”

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the more than 100 million dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

About Vision Source
Vision Source was founded in 1991 with the belief that eye health care is best provided by an independent family eye doctor, free to make his or her own decisions about what is best for the continued good vision of the patient. As a member of Vision Source, a private practice optometrist has access to the shared knowledge and resources of a network with more than 2,700 offices. Because each office is independently owned and operated, your entire eye care experience – from examination through fitting of eyeglasses or contacts – takes place under the watchful eye of your family optometrist.

Media Contact:
Mary Hecht-Kissell
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803

# # #

MORRISVILLE, N.C.─May 3, 2013─TearScience, a privately held medical device company, today announced that its LipiFlow treatment for evaporative dry eye will be featured on the syndicated television talk show, The Doctors, on May 6, 2013 (check local listings).  The show will air on local affiliates in the U.S. and Canada.  Check www.thedoctorstv.com for show times in each market.

More than 23 million Americans suffer from dry eye disease. With the majority (86 percent) suffering from evaporative dry eye, this represents a more than $10 billion market potential in North America. TearScience has developed and launched its system to address this underserved patient population.  The system includes the LipiView  Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System. Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly. LipiView measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer of a dry eye patient’s tear film while LipiFlow treats the root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands during an in-office procedure.  The goal of treating evaporative dry eye by unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow the glands to resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film and ocular surface.

Dry eye is one of the most common complaints from patients visiting eye care professionals.  LipiFlow improves dry eye patients’ Meibomian gland secretions, with the goal of reducing symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life.

“ I have suffered with dry eye for more than 15 years and have tried numerous therapies to manage my chronic condition,” said Angela Megerdichian of Laguna Beach, California, who was the guest that participated in the LipiFlow treatment in The Doctors episode.  “I used to put wetting drops in first thing in the morning and at least eight times throughout each day.  LipiFlow is the only thing that has given me relief.  I highly recommend it.”

John A. Hovanesian, MD, is a practicing ophthalmologist at Harvard Eye Associates in Laguna Hills, California.  An investigator in a current study to evaluate LipiFlow’s duration of effect, Dr. Hovanesian currently offers the LipiFlow treatment commercially at his eye care practice.

“Following a thorough examination of Angela’s condition including the use of TearScience’s LipiView, which measures lipids at the sub-molecular level, and a Meibomian gland evaluation, I confirmed that she had evaporative dry eye and would benefit from treatment,” commented Dr. Hovanesian.  “It was a great experience to treat Angela on the show and help to improve her quality of life. My experience has been consistent with results from earlier clinical trials whereby 79 percent of patients who received a single LipiFlow treatment reported improvements in overall dry eye symptoms.  While not a cure for this chronic, progressive disease, these results are unprecedented in dry eye treatments.”

LipiFlow is part of TearScience’s complete system for assessing and treating evaporative dry eye.

The system includes the LipiView Ocular Surface Interferometer that captures digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film measuring the absolute thickness of the oily lipid layer.  Physicians can use LipiView, a dry eye symptoms survey, and a Meibomian gland evaluation among other things for a comprehensive dry eye assessment.

“I am pleased that TearScience is being featured on The Doctors,” said Brian Regan, the company’s vice president of marketing and market development.  “Many additional dry eye sufferers will now know about our breakthrough system to identify and treat the root cause of their discomfort with TearScience’s LipiFlow, making a real difference for them.”

Finding a LipiFlow Provider

The LipiFlow treatment is available from more than 150 eye care professionals in North America.  To find an eye care practice that offers LipiFlow, visit TearScience’s website at http://www.lipiflow.com.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye.  Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film.  The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease.  Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances.  TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands.  For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

Media Contact:                                                          

Mary Hecht-Kissell

TearScience

MHKissell@TearScience.com

(919)459-4803

###

MORRISVILLE, N.C.─April 19, 2013─TearScience®, a privately held medical device company, today announced that Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is now using the TearScience® LipiView® and LipiFlow® for evaluating and treating evaporative dry eye patients at its Ocular Surface Center in Plantation, Florida. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is ranked the nation’s number one ophthalmology program in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals’ survey. Bascom Palmer joins a growing list of academic institutions using the TearScience® system, including Dean McGee Eye Institute at the University of Oklahoma, Duke Eye Center, Emory Eye Center at Emory University, Eugene & Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at Indiana University, Jules Stein Eye Institute at University of California – Los Angeles, University of California Berkley School of Optometry, University of Houston College of Optometry, and Wills Eye Institute.

Bascom Palmer will add TearScience’s state-of-the-art, FDA-cleared technology to its arsenal of treatments to improve dry eye patients’ Meibomian gland secretions, with the goal of reducing symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life. Dry eye is one of the most common patient complaints in ophthalmic practices. Studies show that 86 percent of the 23 million Americans who suffer from moderate to severe dry eye have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian gland dysfunction and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film.

“Our institution has earned a reputation for continually adopting proven, advanced technologies to help patients with ocular surface disease,” said Victor L. Perez, MD, director of Bascom Palmer’s Ocular Surface Center and associate professor of Ophthalmology, Microbiology & Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Meibomian gland dysfunction is a widely misunderstood and underdiagnosed disease. We are excited to add TearScience’s LipiView® and LipiFlow® to our armamentarium to enhance our ability to identify and treat this prevalent, chronic, and progressive disease.”

TearScience’s system includes two medical devices, the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System. LipiView® provides detailed digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film and measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer. LipiFlow® uses heat and gentle pulsatile pressure to treat a root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure. The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids for a healthy tear film. LipiFlow® provides a new, meaningful, low-risk alternative treatment for chronic dry eye sufferers.

“We are very pleased Bascom Palmer Ocular Surface Center has decided to utilize our LipiView® and LipiFlow® technology,” said Wade Hampton, TearScience’s chief commercial officer. “Bascom Palmer is an important research, teaching, and patient care organization. We expect the staff at the Ocular Surface Center will play a crucial role in educating patients, new practitioners and visiting physicians from around the world on the best ways to manage evaporative dry eye.”

Increasing Demand for LipiFlow® Treatments
LipiFlow® treatments have grown more than 50 percent quarter over quarter. TearScience® continues to make significant investment in production tooling and manufacturing systems to keep pace with growing demand for TearScience® systems including the Activators, the single-use eye pieces used during the treatment. TearScience is committed to the success of its customers ensuring product availability as demand for the LipiFlow® procedure increases.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

Media Contact:
Mary Hecht-Kissell
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803
# # #

TearScience® Establishes Center of Excellence to Assist Eye Care Practices with Optimal Implementation of Its System for Assessing and Treating Evaporative Dry Eye

MORRISVILE, N.C.,—March 11, 2013—TearScience®, Inc., a privately-held medical device company, today announced Duke Eye Center of Durham, North Carolina, will become a TearScience® Center of Excellence providing eye care practices with education on implementing the company’s system for assessing and treating evaporative dry eye. As a Center of Excellence, Duke will host eye care physicians, practice administrators, and eye care technicians involved in dry eye patient education and assessments to gain practical and applied knowledge on using the TearScience® system to provide the best care to dry eye patients.

“Duke Eye Center has become a very important center for helping patients manage evaporative dry eye disease,” said Jeff O’Hara, vice president of North American sales. “Duke Eye Center runs a very effective and efficient dry eye program that will inspire other eye care practices who are about to integrate the TearScience® system. With a track record of success with LipiFlow® clinical outcomes and expertise in optimal patient flow, Duke Eye Center serves as a great model for other eye care practices.”

Evaporative dry eye is caused by a deficiency in the lipid layer of the eye’s natural tear film, resulting from blockages in the lipid-producing Meibomian glands located in the eyelids. A lipid deficiency can lead to evaporation of tears at a faster rate than normal, leaving eyes feeling dry, irritated, tired, and red. TearScience’s LipiFlow® system unblocks obstructed Meibomian glands during a 12 minute in-office procedure. Post treatment, the Meibomian glands may resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film.

“With evaporative dry eye being such a prevalent, progressive condition, there is a great need for dry eye expertise and good patient care,” said Dr. Alan N. Carlson, chief of the Corneal, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery Services at Duke Eye Center. “Duke Eye Center is very pleased to become a part of TearScience’s Center of Excellence program. We look forward to helping other eye care professionals become proficient at caring for patients with evaporative dry eye.”

Duke Eye Center is the first TearScience® Center of Excellence in the United States. The first TearScience® Center of Excellence, announced in December, 2011, was Toronto-based Herzig Eye Institute, a leading authority in laser vision correction and advanced cataract and refractive surgery.
The TearScience® system includes two medical devices, the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System. LipiView® measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer of a dry eye patient’s tear film while LipiFlow® treats a root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids. The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

Media Contact:
Mary Hecht-Kissell
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803

# # #

Morrisville, N.C.,—February 25, 2013—TearScience, Inc., a privately held medical device company, today announced that it has secured up to $70 million in funding from HealthCare Royalty Partners to fully implement the company’s commercialization efforts and establish the TearScience system as the “Standard of Care” for evaporative dry eye. TearScience is focused on the worldwide dry eye market with more than 100 million sufferers and 86 percent having evaporative dry eye.^1&2

“We are blessed to obtain this funding to build on our commercialization success. Our company had an exceptional first year product launch with TearScience selling more than 100 systems and effectively treating thousands of dry eye sufferers and proving our commercial business model. HealthCare Royalty Partners’ funding and partnership will provide TearScience the financial resources to build on our success and fully execute on our global commercialization efforts,” said Tim Willis, President & CEO of TearScience.

“The TearScience system revolutionizes the eye-care professional’s entire approach to evaporative dry eye,” commented Gregory B. Brown , M.D., founding managing director at HealthCare Royalty Partners.  “It assists the doctor in identifying evaporative dry eye, the most prevalent type of dry eye, and provides the most effective treatment.  We believe this device-based solution delivers a more effective, less painful, and less expensive treatment option for this patient population.”

More than 23 million Americans suffer from dry eye disease. With the majority (86 percent²) suffering from evaporative dry eye, this represents a more than $10 billion market potential in North America. TearScience has developed and launched its system to address this market.  The system includes the LipiView^® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow^® Thermal Pulsation System. Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly. LipiView measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer of a dry eye patient’s tear film while LipiFlow treats the root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands during an in-office procedure.  The goal of treating evaporative dry eye by unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow the glands to resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film and ocular surface.

(1)    2009 Dry Eye Market Scope Report
(2)    Distribution of Aqueous-Deficient and Evaporative Dry Eye in a Clinic-Based Patient Cohort: 
A Retrospective Study. Lemp et. al. Cornea 2012 May; 31(5):472-8.

 
About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical identification and treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the 100 million plus of dry eye sufferers worldwide, the leading cause (86percent) is evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

About HealthCare Royalty Partners
HealthCare Royalty Partners is a global healthcare investment firm focused on providing financing solutions to healthcare companies and royalty owners with interests in approved pharmaceutical and medical device products. The firm’s senior investment team has participated in 45 royalty financings valued at over $2 billion over the past decade. For more information, visit www.healthcareroyalty.com/.

 Media Contacts:
Nicole Wicker
TearScience
NWicker@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4805

Kellie Walsh
HC Royalty
kwalsh@kwmcommunications.com
(914) 315-6072

MORRISVILLE, N.C. AND PARIS, FRANCE─ February 13, 2013─TearScience_®, a privately held medical device company, today announced that the president of the French Society of Refractive Surgery, Catherine Albou-Ganem, MD, has purchased the TearScience® system for evaluating and treating evaporative dry eye.  Dr Albou-Ganem is the first to implement the TearScience® system in France.

Dry eye disease is a common complaint among patients visiting eye care physicians. Recent studies show that 86 percent¹ of the millions of patients who suffer with dry eye have evaporative dry eye disease, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film.

“Dry eye is chief complaint that I hear daily from my patients,” said Dr. Albou-Ganem, founding member and surgeon at Clinique de la vision in Paris, France.  “It’s a nuisance disease that leaves patients frustrated and most physicians stumped on how best to treat it.  I am pleased to have something new to offer these patients who are desperately seeking relief.  LipiFlow has been proven to be both safe and effective in both clinical studies and in my practice.”

Dry eye disease has been managed traditionally using warm compresses, wetting drops, ointments, gels and moisture goggles.  However, these treatments only provide relief of dry eye symptoms.  Patient compliance with traditional therapies has been an ongoing struggle. Alternatively, TearScience’s LipiFlow_® Thermal Pulsation System addresses patient compliance issues because it is a comprehensive, 12-minute procedure performed by an eye care practice.

“Dry eye can be a debilitating disease,” added Albou-Ganem. “It’s a progressive disease that interferes with people’s lives, limiting the time that they can be on the computer, wearing contacts or doing tasks that require intense visual focus.  LipiFlow^® helps me provide better care to patients by addressing the root cause of dry eye, the obstructed Meibomian glands.  It is really about improving the quality and quantity of Meibomian secretions so that the eye feels well lubricated proving greater comfort.”

“We are pleased to have Dr. Albou-Ganem to our growing list of customers in Europe,” said Diethart Reichardt, senior vice president of TearScience’s European region.  “As president of the French Society for Refractive Surgery (SAFIR) and an expert in dry eye, Dr. Albou-Ganem will play an important role in influencing other physicians on how to manage dry eye, a significant and growing problem.”

TearScience_® has developed and launched a system to address this market. The system includes two medical devices, the LipiView_® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow_® Thermal Pulsation System.  Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly.  LipiView^® measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer of a dry eye patient’s tear film while LipiFlow^® treats a root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure.  The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film.

¹  Distribution of Aqueous-Deficient and Evaporative Dry Eye in a Clinic-Based Patient Cohort:
A Retrospective Study.   Lemp et. al. Cornea 2012 May; 31(5):472-8.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

Media Contact:                                                           
Mary Hecht-Kissell
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803

Morrisville, N.C.,—January 18, 2013—TearScience^®, Inc., a privately-held medical device company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared additional features and broadened the indication for use of the company’s LipiView^® Ocular Surface Interferometer. TearScience^® can now claim LipiView^® measures the absolute thickness of the tear film lipid layer in nanometers.  LipiView^®’s broadened indication for use is a result of the U.S. FDA clearing LipiView^®’ssecond generation software.  LipiView^® v2.0 software will be available to all new customers with current customers to be upgraded by the second quarter of 2013.

Physicians can use LipiView^® as part of a full dry eye assessment to determine the type of dry eye a patient has by identifying lipid layer deficiency, the most common cause of dry eye.  The upgraded LipiView^® software also acquires a patient’s blinking process during examination providing physicians with the ability to identify patients who are partial blinkers, a condition that may limit lipid production and impact the ocular surface.   

“Improvements in imaging technology have helped advance almost every aspect of medicine,” said Alan N. Carlson, MD, chief of the Corneal, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery Services at Duke Eye Center in Durham, North Carolina.  “Now, with LipiView^®, we have nanometer precision in measuring that critical lipid layer of the tear film, which is recognized as the culprit in the most common cause of dry eyes.  LipiView^® helps with assessing for dry eye, developing a treatment strategy, and monitoring a patient’s progress.  LipiView^® also is an invaluable tool in educating the patient visually for a much greater understanding of the disease process.”

“We are pleased to receive U.S. FDA 510K clearance on LipiView^®’s expanded indication for use,” said Steve Grenon, vice president of research and development for TearScience^®.  “Our goal is to help physicians improve dry eye patient care  by identifying evaporative dry eye and guiding patients to the best treatment and therapies for this highly prevalent, chronic, and progressive disease¹.  Physicians can expect continued innovations from TearScience^®.  We will continue to deliver enhancements to make LipiView^® the most powerful tool for physician dry eye evaluations and patient education.”

More than 23 million Americans suffer from dry eye disease.  With 86 percent of all dry eye sufferers having evaporative dry eye, it represents a more than $10 billion market potential in North America. TearScience^® has developed and launched a system to address this market. The system includes two medical devices, the LipiView^® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow^® Thermal Pulsation System.  Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly.  LipiView^® measures the absolute thickness of the lipid layer of a dry eye patient’s tear film while LipiFlow^® treats a root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure.  The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids required for a healthy tear film.

1    Prevalence of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Hom et. al. Optom Vis Sci. 1990 Sep; 67(9):710-2.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

Media Contact:                                                          
Mary Hecht-Kissell                                         
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803                      

# # #

MORRISVILLE, N.C.─December 7, 2012─TearScience^®, a privately held medical device company, today announced that momentum from a successful program at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting this past November will result in the company reaching a milestone of 100 system installations.  TearScience’s LipiView^® and LipiFlow^® devices for assessing and treating evaporative dry eye were featured at key symposia during the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) held in Chicago last month.  At the premier new technology session entitled “Cataract Surgery:  The Cutting Edge,” Edward Holland, MD, director of cornea services at Cincinnati Eye Institute and professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati, highlighted treating Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) with LipiFlow^®.  Holland spoke of the importance of optimizing the ocular surface to some 3,500 eye care physicians.

“LipiFlow^® is a safe and effective treatment for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and evaporative dry eye,” said Holland.  “This treatment should be the initial intervention when Meibomian Gland Dysfunction is encountered.  In clinical studies, 79 percent of patients who received a single LipiFlow^® treatment reported improvements in overall dry eye symptoms.”

Dry Eye Market

“TearScience continues to make significant strides in the $3.8 billion North American dry eye market,” said Wade Hampton, chief commercial officer of TearScience. “Our practices report that LipiFlow^® patients achieve meaningful dry eye relief at lower cost than their previous care regimen.  This, combined with the significant growth these practices experience, is establishing TearScience as the new standard of care for evaporative dry eye.”

More than 23 million Americans have dry eye disease.  The majority suffer from the evaporative type, which represents a more than $10 billion market potential.

The AAO·APAO joint meeting was TearScience’s largest revenue-generating event to date.  The annual meeting served as an opportunity for TearScience to educate the more than 13,500 physicians from around the world on the science, efficacy and optimal implementation of the TearScience system and a dry eye service.

“The strength of the clinical data on LipiFlow^® was very impressive,” commented Clark Springs, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, while attending AAO·APAO.  “The science, clinical data and testimony of colleagues able to improve dry eye patient care convinced me to implement the TearScience LipiFlow^® treatment system.”

TearScience hosted more than 200 physicians and industry personnel at a breakfast presentation during AAO·APAO entitled “Advances in the Management of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.”  Presenters included Alan Carlson, MD, Stephen Lane, MD, Parag Majmudar, MD and Marguerite McDonald, MD. The event was moderated by Edward Holland, MD, where a LipiFlow^® treatment was performed live by Dr. Majmudar on a physician volunteer.

“Given that LipiFlow^® is a patient-pay treatment, I had to stop prejudging which patients will pay for LipiFlow^®,” said Dr. McDonald of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island (OCLI). “I have learned that dry eye patients are truly desperate for relief.  LipiFlow^® has given OCLI an edge in helping patients.  Being the dry eye experts of Long Island has truly differentiated our eye care practice.”

TearScience’s system includes two medical devices, the LipiView^® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow^® Thermal Pulsation System.  Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly.  LipiView^® provides detailed digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film for the physician to assess the lipid layer while the LipiFlow^® treats a root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure.  The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids for a healthy tear film.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.
Media Contact: 
Mary Hecht-Kissell
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803

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Dry eye disease is a frequent patient complaint. Studies show that 86 percent of the millions who suffer with dry eye have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film.

“Dry eye is a chronic, progressive disease that impacts a large patient population,” said Dr. Piovella. “With LipiFlow®, I now have a breakthrough treatment for the large number of patients suffering with dry eye. I’m pleased to have this new, safe and effective treatment to offer to those who are frustrated and seeking an alternative to traditional therapies.”

Traditional therapies for dry eye, which include warm compresses, wetting drops, ointments, gels and moisture goggles, treat only the symptoms of dry eye. Patient compliance with traditional therapies is an ongoing struggle. Alternatively, LipiFlow® eliminates patient compliance issues because it is a convenient, 12-minute procedure performed at an eye care practice.

“Ophthalmologists should pay close attention to optimizing patient’s ocular surface to improve surgical outcomes and help patients wear contacts more comfortably,” added Piovella. “Therefore, physicians cannot afford to ignore dry eye. By properly managing dry eye, physicians can provide better patient care. LipiFlow® is emerging as the new standard of care for managing evaporative dry eye.”

“We are pleased to have Dr. Piovella as our customer in Italy,” said Diethart Reichardt, senior vice president of TearScience’s European region. As president of the Italian Society of Ophthalmology and an expert in dry eye for patients who have undergone refractive surgery or cataract surgery with advanced IOL implantations, Dr. Piovella will provide an excellent reference site for the TearScience system for European physicians.”

TearScience’s system includes two medical devices, the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System. Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly. LipiView® provides detailed digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film for the physician to assess the lipid layer while the LipiFlow® treats a root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure. The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids for a healthy tear film.

Dr. Piovella is the founder and clinical director of the CMA Outpatient Microsurgery Center in Monza, Italy. Dr. Piovella is the first to implement the TearScience® system in Italy.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

Media Contact:
Mary Hecht-Kissell
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803

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“We are honored to receive this award,” said Tim Willis, CEO and co-founder of TearScience®. “I’m grateful to NCTA for recognizing TearScience® as a company that stands for excellence, innovation and leadership. Our system for evaluating and treating evaporative dry eye disease is gaining widespread acceptance in the ophthalmic industry as the new standard of care. It is positively impacting the quality of life for millions of people who suffer from this chronic, progressive disease.”

The NCTA 21 Awards is North Carolina’s only statewide technology awards program, recognizing companies and individuals who have characterized excellence, innovation and leadership in 21 categories.

TearScience’s system includes two medical devices, the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System. Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly. LipiView® provides detailed digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film for the physician to assess the lipid layer while the LipiFlow® treats a root cause of evaporative dry eye disease by unblocking obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure. The goal of unblocking the Meibomian glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids for a healthy tear film.

About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the millions of dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

About North Carolina Technology Association
The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) is the statewide membership association for the tech sector. Because technology is integral to any enterprise regardless of size or function, NCTA membership is open to all companies, organizations, and institutions. NCTA serves organizations and their people through events, advocacy, virtual networks and resources. For more information, visit our website at www.nctechnology.org.

Media Contacts:
Mary Hecht-Kissell
TearScience
mhkissell@tearscience.com
(919) 459-4803

Marc Montoro
North Carolina Technology Association
mmontoro@nctechnology.org
(919) 890-0773

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